Team India captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli will be back at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on Wednesday for the Asia Cup 2023 camp. Both Rohit and Kohli have been given lengthy break after the India vs West Indies ODIs last month.
The last international match that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played was the 1st ODI against the West Indies. Apart from Rohit and Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are also expected to join the Asia Cup 2023 camp on Wednesday.
Pandya and Suryakumar played in the India vs West Indies five-match T20I series but were rested for the three-match T20I series against Ireland. The remaining members of the Asia Cup 2023, which was announced on Monday, who are taking part in the Ireland T20I series are expected to join the squad later this week.
As the camp is exclusive to Asia Cup 2023 squad, only those in the squad will take part. “The camp is for the Asia Cup squad. Rohit and Virat will be joining from Day 1. They are arriving tomorrow in Bengaluru. Most of the guys will be joining in from Day 1. The rest will join after they arrive from Dublin,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport website.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul already in the camp
Meanwhile, fully-fit Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will also join the camp. Shreyas Iyer was racing against time to be fit but has proved his fitness in the practice games organized by the NCA. However, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar confirmed that KL Rahul suffered a niggle last week and is being monitored in the camp. As a result, Sanju Samson has been picked as a travelling reserve and will come into the side if KL Rahul fails to be fit for the tournament.
“Shreyas Iyer has been declared completely fit. KL Rahul, in the last few days, not his original injury, but he has picked up a niggle,” Agarkar had said in New Delhi on Monday.
“That’s why Sanju Samson is at the moment traveling with us. But the physios, I am sure, will get a report, at some stage, they are all expected to be fit. If not at the start of the Asia Cup, probably from the 2nd and 3rd game (Rahul to be fit). He is well on track. Shreyas Iyer has been passed fit. Two important teams for us. We don’t have to pick the World Cup team till September 5. That gives us more time,” Agarkar added.
However, KL Rahul will join the camp with light work and some batting sessions. Asia Cup 2023 will get underway on August 30 with hosts Pakistan taking on Nepal in Multan. India will begin their campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Kandy on September 2.
#SherSquad, who wants to see RO-KO rolling their arm over? __#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #CWC23 #RohitSharma #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/BifaNXYpkK
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) August 22, 2023
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Travelling reserve: Sanju Samson